The present invention relates to a small electric connector which is used for electric connection of electronic equipment and into which a plug terminal is inserted for such electric connection.
For detachable attachment of a battery pack to electronic equipment, a type of an electric connector that enables the battery pack to be electrically connected with and disconnected from electronic equipment is generally used. As an example of such a technique, an electric connector is disclosed in JP-A-2006-19296. This related-art technique disclosed in JP-A-2006-19296 is such that a plug receiving portion of sheet metal into which a plug terminal is inserted is formed on a base member via a spring member with an integrated manner. In describing the construction thereof in detail, the sheet metal is bent in a thickness direction into a substantially U-shape on both lateral external sides of the plug receiving portion, and each distal end of the sheet metal which is bent into the substantially U-shape is bent further in the thickness direction into a substantially U-shape on a lateral external side thereof, so as to form the spring member, and a lower end portion at a distal end of the spring member is bent in the thickness direction, so as to form the base member. This base member is fixed to a substrate by means of soldering. In this configuration, the spring member is elastically deformed in the thickness direction, and the bend of the substantially U-shaped bent portion is deformed, whereby the plug receiving portion can easily be shifted laterally to both sides thereof. Then, when the plug terminal is inserted into or removed from the plug receiving portion, even though the plug terminal is offset in a lateral direction relative to the plug receiving portion, thereby exerting a lateral force on the plug receiving portion, the lateral force so exerted is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the spring member, and no large lateral force is exerted on the base member which is fixed to the substrate. Therefore, there is caused no such an accident that the base member is separated from the substrate.
In electronic equipment such as a small mobile phone, in many cases, a plurality of such electric connectors are provided in such a manner as to be aligned horizontally. When the related art described in JP-A-2006-19296 is applied to such alignment of connector, the overall width or lateral dimension of the plug receiving portion has to be increased to quite a large extent, since the spring members are provided on both the lateral external sides of the plug receiving portion. Thus, the related-art technique described in JP-A-2006-19296 is not suitable for a configuration in which electric connectors are aligned at small intervals. This constitutes a cause for hindrance to the miniaturization of electronic equipment such as the mobile phone for which miniaturization is strongly demanded.